Honeybee
4.4

When fourteen-year-old Sam Watson meets elderly recluse Vic on a bridge late at night, an unlikely friendship blooms. Together, they navigate life’s struggles—from gender identity and mental health to grief and healing. Honeybee is a tender, courageous Australian novel that explores resilience, acceptance, and the redemptive power of connection. It’s both heartbreaking and life-affirming, with a powerful voice at its center.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

About Craig Silvey

An Australian author, best known for his acclaimed novel, Jasper Jones. His work often blends coming-of-age stories with elements of mystery and social commentary, set in small-town Australia. Silvey's evocative prose, compelling characters, and exploration of themes like racism, prejudice, and justice have resonated deeply with readers, establishing him as a significant voice in contemporary Australian literature.

Other Books by Craig Silvey

Book cover

Jasper Jones

by Craig Silvey

4.1

In a small Australian town, teenager Charlie Bucktin is drawn into a web of secrets when local outcast Jasper Jones seeks his help after discovering a girl's body. As they attempt to uncover the truth, Charlie confronts issues of racism, morality, and the loss of innocence. Silvey's coming-of-age novel blends mystery with social commentary, capturing the complexities of adolescence.

Similar Books

Book cover

Martyr!

by Kaveh Akbar

4.2

Kaveh Akbar's debut novel, Martyr!, follows Cyrus Shams, a first-generation Iranian American poet grappling with the loss of his mother, who died in a tragic plane bombing. Haunted by grief and searching for meaning, Cyrus embarks on a journey that intertwines his personal struggles with broader themes of identity, legacy, and artistic expression. The narrative delves into the complexities of family, sacrifice, and self-discovery, highlighting the immigrant experience and the impact of loss. Akbar's prose offers a poignant reflection on the human condition and the quest for purpose.

Book cover

Nightcrawling

by Leila Mottley

4.3

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley is a powerful debut novel that follows Kiara, a Black teenager navigating poverty and systemic injustice in Oakland, California. After a tragic family crisis and with no reliable support, Kiara turns to sex work to survive, eventually becoming entangled in a police scandal involving abuse and corruption. Mottley, who wrote the novel at just 17, brings poetic intensity and raw vulnerability to Kiara’s voice. The novel explores themes of exploitation, resilience, and the desperate search for dignity in a world that routinely devalues Black lives. Nightcrawling is unflinching, heartbreaking, and deeply human.

Book cover

Disgrace

by J.M. Coetzee

4.1

J. M. Coetzee's Booker Prize-winning novel Disgrace, set in post-apartheid South Africa, takes us into the disquieting mind of twice-divorced university teacher David Lurie as he loses his job and his honour after engaging in an ill-advised affair with a susceptible student. When he retreats to his daughter's farm, a brutal attack highlights their fractured relationship. Is it only through intense suffering and shame-his own as well as that of others-that David can begin to change, to understand his country and what it means to be human? In Disgrace, this Nobel-Prize winning writer examines ideas of evil, violence, dignity and redemption in a country dominated by the power dynamics of race.

Book cover

The Priory of the Orange Tree

by Samantha Shannon

Series: The Roots of Chaos (#1)

4.2

An enthralling, epic fantasy about a world on the brink of war with dragons - and the women who must lead the fight to save it. The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.